LEXINGTON, Ky. - Following a national signing day which saw Kentucky land the 28th-ranked class in the country according to Rivals.com, Wildcats head coach Mark Stoops discussed the importance of making the top in-state prospects a priority.

"Ryan (Timmons) was the first school we went into, this new staff, myself, or the assistants, first guy we went to see was Ryan Timmons," Stoops said of the Franklin County athlete who announced on Tuesday that he'd chosen UK over offers from Arkansas, Florida, Illinois and Ohio State.

"So that's the priority we had on (Timmons) and, of course, that was on the way to go see Jason Hatcher," Stoops said.

Hatcher, a defensive end out of Trinity in Louisville, had initially committed to Southern Cal but turned down the Trojans - as well as U of L - to sign with UK on Wednesday.

"First you put a fence around your state. So, we put a fence around our state. We got some of the top guys in our state. I think we got one or two or three of the top dogs in the state," UK tight ends coach Vince Marrow said.